Project will tear apart neighborhood for nothing

A group of residents is arguing that even a scaled back Thomas Street expansion is misguided.

Many living in the Wausau area are aware that Thomas Street is once again in the news. For almost 10 years, the City Council has been making proposals to "rehabilitate" the street.

The Council's failure to listen to residents, follow proper federal guidelines or come to any acceptable decisions has left homeowners and businesses in a costly state of limbo. People and families have been hurt financially and personally. Recent recommendations by Graef Consulting of Milwaukee reduce the extent to which Thomas Street will be widened from previous proposals, but much harm to Wausau residents still will occur.

Thomas Street is a neighborhood, a part of our community. It is loved by many who have lived there for years. It has churches and businesses, families and children. There are elderly residents who have been in their homes for decades, homes that are "grandma's house" for children and grandchildren. There are buildings listed on the historical registry.

Yet the Wausau City Council treats Thomas Street and the people living and working there like commodities in a Monopoly game. Homes can be demolished; families, elders and children can be "relocated." Businesses can "adjust," and the Council can shed its responsibility to an out-of-town consulting firm.

No expansion necessary

The currently proposed "reconstruction" of Thomas Street must be stopped. It is an assault on working people; it is an assault on our community.

It is also a huge and completely unnecessary waste of tax dollars.

By the state's and Graef Consulting's own estimates, the current traffic on Thomas Street and its predicted future growth does not warrant roadway expansion. The proposed four lanes from Third Avenue to the two-lane Thomas Street bridge result in "two lanes to nowhere." Additionally, the demolition of existing housing and commercial structures will result in a major loss of tax base for the city, and because of the Council's earlier failure to follow proper legal procedures, federal funding for this project is currently unavailable.

Wausau residents also need to consider another "selling point" the City Council is using to justify the destruction of the Thomas Street neighborhood. The new proposal expands the number of retail buildings. It is hardly a secret that Wausau does not need any more empty retail space. JCPenney will soon be leaving, the Gap has left, and a drive through Wausau and adjoining communities reveals numerous unused retail structures.

Project is driving blight

The City Council is now shifting justification for the Thomas Street project from traffic control to "beautification." But the City Council ignores the fact that it is a major cause of any blight that may exist. For 10 years, the homeowners and business owners living and working on Thomas Street have been unable to invest in their own property. The endless state of uncertainty people have been living under has made any thought of improvements a reckless financial gamble.

It is unclear who or what is the force behind the Wausau City Council's ongoing determination to deconstruct Thomas Street. It certainly isn't being done in the best interests of taxpayers or the people who call this neighborhood home.

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Stop Thomas Street expansion now: column

Many living in the Wausau area are aware that Thomas Street is once again in the news. For almost 10 years, the City Council has been making proposals to 'rehabilitate' the street.

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